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Cairns Regional CouncilCommunity profile

Cairns

Industry sector of employment

More Cairns male residents worked in construction than any other industry in 2021.

Cairns's industry statistics identify the industry sectors in which the residents work (which may be within the residing area or elsewhere). This will be influenced by the skill base and socio-economic status of the residents as well as the industries and employment opportunities present in the region.

When viewed in conjunction with Residents Place of Work data and Method of Travel to Work, industry sector statistics provide insights into the relationship between the economic and residential role of the area.

Q:

Derived from the two Census questions:

'What best describes the business of your employer?' and 'What are the main goods produced or main services provided by your employers business?'

Industry sector of employment
Cairns - Employed males (Usual residence)20212016Change
Industry sectorNumber%Regional QLD %Number%Regional QLD %2016 to 2021
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing7932.05.77642.16.2+29
Mining1,2113.15.79032.55.9+308
Manufacturing2,1905.67.82,1285.88.0+62
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services7001.81.85441.51.8+156
Construction5,91315.016.25,10914.015.5+804
Wholesale trade1,1783.02.81,1923.33.1-14
Retail Trade3,2718.37.63,1218.67.9+150
Accommodation and Food Services3,5839.16.73,3329.26.5+251
Transport, Postal and Warehousing3,2388.26.13,2789.06.5-40
Information Media and Telecommunications2850.70.93631.01.1-78
Financial and Insurance Services3811.01.53701.01.4+11
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services5911.51.66431.81.7-52
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services1,8004.64.61,6564.54.4+144
Administrative and Support Services1,4163.63.01,4774.13.0-61
Public Administration and Safety3,3658.56.43,3089.16.7+57
Education and Training1,8524.74.21,6934.64.3+159
Health Care and Social Assistance3,4568.86.52,3836.55.1+1,073
Arts and Recreation Services6331.61.58012.21.6-168
Other Services1,7694.54.11,6034.44.1+166
Inadequately described or not stated1,7714.55.21,7414.85.1+30
Total employed persons aged 15+39,396100.0100.036,409100.0100.0+2,987
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

An analysis of the jobs held by the male resident population in Cairns in 2021 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:

  • Construction (5,913 males or 15.0%)
  • Accommodation and Food Services (3,583 males or 9.1%)
  • Health Care and Social Assistance (3,456 males or 8.8%)

In combination, these three industries employed 12,952 males in total or 32.9% of the total employed male resident population.

In comparison, Regional QLD employed 16.2% in Construction; 6.7% in Accommodation and Food Services; and 6.5% in Health Care and Social Assistance.

The major differences between the jobs held by the male population of Cairns and Regional QLD were:

  • A larger percentage of males employed in accommodation and food services (9.1% compared to 6.7%)
  • A larger percentage of males employed in health care and social assistance (8.8% compared to 6.5%)
  • A smaller percentage of males employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2.0% compared to 5.7%)
  • A smaller percentage of males employed in mining (3.1% compared to 5.7%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed males in Cairns increased by 2,987 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the jobs held by the male resident population between 2016 and 2021 in Cairns were for those employed in:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+1,073 males)
  • Construction (+804 males)
  • Mining (+308 males)
  • Accommodation and Food Services (+251 males)

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